São Tomé and Príncipe’s national football team head coach Adriano Eusébio has defended his team’s selection ahead of their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Eusébio on Monday revealed his provisional squad consisting of 22 overseas-based players.
The Falcons and True Parrots, as they are fondly called, are looking for their first victory in Group A after four defeats and a draw.
Regardless of the results in the dead rubber game against the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Sunday, Eusébio’s side will remain rooted to the bottom of the table, thus the coach’s invitation of overseas-based players for the inconsequential game has met some criticisms from football faithful from the country.
The protest of some clubs, who reacted with astonishment, was based on the fact that it is the first time in the history of São Tomé football, no player who plays in domestic championships is on the list of players invited for duty.
Reacting to the protest, Eusébio justified the absence of the players who play in the main national competitions with the fact that the call-up is a preview for the next qualifying games for the World Cup.
“This call is already thinking about the World Cup qualifying games that start in November, we have to take into account that, at this time, we will not have championships in the country and the players will be in vacation mode,” he said.
Eusébio added that, with the growing wave of emigration, the team lost the base core that was made up of players who played in the main national championships, in the need to build a team of continuity and that provided guarantees; it turned 100 per cent to the diaspora.
The Eagles, who are top of their qualification group with 12 points, won the last encounter between the two sides 10-0 at the Adrar Stadium in Morocco on June 13, 2022.
